marc108 wrote:yes, but you wouldnt be able to safely eat enough leafy greens to get an appreciable amount of protein.

If you drink 5+ liters of green smoothes (done in high quality blender like Vitamix), with some (raw) hemp, you will.

marc108 wrote:animal physiology and dietetics arent the same as humans. you cant make those type of comparisons between animals and humans... cows are fed grain & soy protein usually, and gorilllas eat 30+lbs of food per day. it's theorized, and likely, that cooking food is what gave humans their evolutionary advantage, supplying more calories.

Take highest quality probiotics that you can find to build healthy gut flora. Avoid anti-biotics as much as possible.

As for cooking food. A 100g of cooked steak has much more calories than 100g of greens. Sure. What I have read is that one of the problems of early people was that they had to feed whole day long on fruits, vegetables, greens, etc. They didn't have time for much else. Today with blenders we can drink far more greens and much quicker. As quick as cooking food. And if you need calories, you can add raw high quality oils.

"Life is a struggle. Life will throw curveballs at you, it will humble you, it will attempt to break you down. And just when you think things are starting to look up, life will smack you back down with ruthless indifference..."

Funny thing. I eat almost totally a raw diet, but for a completely different reason. After my husband died, I decided that there was no longer any reason to cook. It is time consuming and after I had done all the work, I ate in a few minutes. So why bother. There are so many other, important things to do with my time.

So now, unless something unusual happens, everything I eat is raw and fresh. I do not eat meat and have not for decades, so it is easy. Nothing else really needs cooking. I eat lots of nuts and seeds and whole grain cereals and breads and several servings of different fruits and veggies a day. Been doing this for years. No ill effects. I have lots of energy and rarely am ill. I am old and still function as I always have. I work hard and have a very high energy level. And my brain still functions properly too.

I think we all know what foods are good for us and what foods are not. What foods have the fewest negative implications for the world and for the individual. The problem arises because negative foods taste good. We tend to like only sweet and fat and salt. So we look for reasons to justify eating what is essentially junk food. Our taste buds are corrupted by years of bad eating. It takes some time to re-learn to appreciate the natural taste of healthy, positive foods.

I think people tend to say something is difficult or causes ill effects because they do not want to do it. I say, do it if you wish. For me, only positive results. If you do not wish to do so, then do not. No need to rationalize our choices. Just be aware of them and their consequences.

It appears you eat mostly Raw but not entirley Raw? Bread isnt Raw and a lot of wholegrain cereals arent necessarily raw depending on which ones. I make a Raw Granola which is one of teh best breakfasts imaginable in my opinion. So there is Raw and there is Raw. As it is commonly thought of these days, a Raw diet is very, very foccussed on everything that is being eaten is in fact in its Raw state.

I am just pointing this out as Raw does mean uncooked and in its most natural state.....that is unprocessed as most processing involves heating and changing the composition of foods. As we have discussed in the forum here, there is conjecture and also facts whch suggest that sometimes cooking food is good, but as always there are two sides to the coin and in my view too many times cooking is not good, particulalry as most people and restaurants when cooking use a lot of processed additives.

But it seems you are eating very healthy which your body an dthus your mind would love.

10. "Or he might say: 'The recluse Gotama abstains from damaging seed and plant life. He eats only in one part of the day, refraining from food at night and from eating at improper times. He abstains from dancing, singing, instrumental music, and witnessing unsuitable shows. He abstains from wearing garlands, embellishing himself with scents, and beautifying himself with unguents. He abstains from accepting gold and silver. He abstains from accepting uncooked grain, raw meat, women and girls, male and female slaves, goats and sheep, fowl and swine, elephants, cattle, horses and mares. He abstains from accepting fields and lands. He abstains from running messages and errands. He abstains from buying and selling, and from dealing with false weights, false metals, and false measures. He abstains from the crooked ways of bribery, deception, and fraud. He abstains from mutilating, executing, imprisoning, robbery, plunder, and violence.'

10. "Or he might say: 'The recluse Gotama abstains from damaging seed and plant life. He eats only in one part of the day, refraining from food at night and from eating at improper times. He abstains from dancing, singing, instrumental music, and witnessing unsuitable shows. He abstains from wearing garlands, embellishing himself with scents, and beautifying himself with unguents. He abstains from accepting gold and silver. He abstains from accepting uncooked grain, raw meat, women and girls, male and female slaves, goats and sheep, fowl and swine, elephants, cattle, horses and mares. He abstains from accepting fields and lands. He abstains from running messages and errands. He abstains from buying and selling, and from dealing with false weights, false metals, and false measures. He abstains from the crooked ways of bribery, deception, and fraud. He abstains from mutilating, executing, imprisoning, robbery, plunder, and violence.'

With all due respect Dawn, I follow the Buddha for Spritual Guidance but not nutritional advice. Just my view.

Not interested. I enjoy cooking, so no thanks. Besides, I don't see what the issue is with cooked food. If anything, it makes the nutritional value of some foods better. For instance, cooked eggs are better than raw for digestibility.

I love raw tuna, and I sometimes make a salmon ceviche where the raw salmon pieces stands in citric (lemon or lime juice) for ten minutes before it is consumed. I like it dressed with Thai flavours.

I also like to eat some cuts of beef very lightly seared on both sides and raw in the middle, such as carpaccio.A few years ago, the Paleo-diet began to grow in popularity. Are there any adherents here of that diet?kind regards,

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

I love raw tuna, and I sometimes make a salmon ceviche where the raw salmon pieces stands in citric (lemon or lime juice) for ten minutes before it is consumed. I like it dressed with Thai flavours.

I also like to eat some cuts of beef very lightly seared on both sides and raw in the middle, such as carpaccio.A few years ago, the Paleo-diet began to grow in popularity. Are there any adherents here of that diet?kind regards,

Since April I've experimented with raw food and vegetarianism (plus eggs). Even though I take lots of B-12 supplements, my B12 levels are low... So I've changed my mind and eventually will have to eat some B12 containing meats. I also crave crave chicken... Unfortunately since I've just finished 21 day fast, it will be a while before my stomach will be able to handle solid food.

"Life is a struggle. Life will throw curveballs at you, it will humble you, it will attempt to break you down. And just when you think things are starting to look up, life will smack you back down with ruthless indifference..."

That's great to hear, Alan. I don't think my digestive tract could handle it.I'm on a nearly vegetarian high-protein diet at the moment. Making friends with brown rice and beans all over again with the usual vegetable suspects for my one substantive meal of the day and my other meals are whey & skim milk protein 'shakes'.When I go home on the weekend my most substantive meal is one with chicken, beef or salmon - and its now the only time I eat non-vegetarian fare.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Hi Alan,I guess its years of cooked processed grains, cooked vegetables and a diet rich of other dainty morsels.I think my small intestine would get such a shock it would rise up through my oesophagus and strangle me as a desperate act of self defence!Seriously though, I am making some significant changes to my diet. Not quite a raw diet but closer to vegetarianism and overtones of the macrobiotics I embraced nearly 30 years ago.kind regards,

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

My understanding could be at error, Alan.I don't know a whole lot about it and its mostly formed on mis/information in the popular media.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725